Monday, May 14, 2018

Sharif's 26/11 Statement 'Grossly Misinterpreted': PML-N

Sharif's 26/11 Statement 'Grossly Misinterpreted': PML-N

The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (N) party issued a detailed statement on Sunday disregarding all accusations made former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying that they were "grossly misinterpreted."

The statement was posted by Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Sharif, on Twitter, which said: "PML-N would like to set the record straight on the interview of PML-N Quaid carried yesterday by DAWN. At the outset, statement of the Quaid has been grossly misinterpreted by the Indian media."

"The PML-N as the country's premier popular national political party and its Quaid need no certificate from anybody on their commitment and capacity to preserve, protect and promote Pakistan's national security," it further read, criticising opposition leaders, who have been questioning his loyalty towards Pakistan.

On May 11, Sharif in an exclusive interview to a Pakistan daily, The Dawn, had said that terrorists sent by Pakistan were responsible for the 26/11 attacks.

"Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?" Nawaz noted in the interview in a reference to the Mumbai attacks-related trials which have stalled in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court.

Pakistan has so far not completed trial in the 26/11 case.

On Sunday, it was announced that the Pakistan Army will hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the "recent misleading media statement" about Mumbai terror attack, officials said.

Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, India Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that"Well, it is very serious disclosure. India's position has been that the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack operated from Pakistan. We strongly believe that the handlers of the attack were in Pakistan," she said.

"It (Sharif's remarks) only proves that India's stand has been right all the way", she added, addressing a press conference in Delhi.